The Kistefos African Public Service Fellowship provides support to promising leaders from Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, South Africa, and Tanzania who are committed to working in public service. We asked Kistefos African Public Service Fellowship recipient Prosper Ahmed Amuquandoh MC/MPA Mason 2025 about his motivations for studying at HKS and what this fellowship means to him.
Originally from Ghana, Prosper Ahmed Amuquandoh MC/MPA Mason 2025 is an energy and communications professional with over 14 years of experience spanning the public and private sectors. He has an academic background in theoretical physics, mathematics, computer science, and public policy. His policy areas of interest include climate change and energy transition, electricity market design and regulation, and sustainable infrastructure development.
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Why did you choose to pursue a master’s degree at Harvard Kennedy School?
My career in Ghana’s energy sector has been dedicated to advancing sustainable energy systems and good governance to eradicate energy poverty, combat climate change, and power Africa’s socioeconomic transformation. However, leading change at the forefront of these challenges in Africa requires more than just expertise—it demands visionary leadership, strategic insights, and global networks that Harvard Kennedy School uniquely provides. Therefore, I chose to pursue a master’s degree at the Kennedy School because of its unmatched track record in cultivating leaders with the passion, courage, vision, and strategic acumen to drive meaningful global change.
“I chose to pursue a master’s degree at the Kennedy School because of its unmatched track record in cultivating leaders with the passion, courage, vision, and strategic acumen to drive meaningful global change.”
Through the Mid-Career Master in Public Administration (MC/MPA) Program, the Kennedy School is empowering me to address two of Africa’s most pressing needs: visionary leadership and effective policy implementation. Here, I am enhancing my character, honing my expertise, expanding my professional network, and building the strategic leadership capacity to drive transformative solutions in climate change and energy transition, electricity market design and regulation, and sustainable infrastructure development in Africa. The school is equipping me with the tools to make a tangible and lasting impact on Africa’s sustainable future.
I am deeply confident in achieving my goals at the Kennedy School because of its remarkable community of support and excellence. The faculty are not only global authorities and experts in their fields, but they also take a personal interest in each student’s development and success. The school’s renowned centers of scholarship and professional development provide unparalleled opportunities to expand my network and hone my skills in impactful ways. And my classmates—each an accomplished leader in their own field—contribute to a truly empowering community, where we inspire one another to thrive both academically and professionally. This makes the Kennedy School the ideal place for me to realize my ambitions to contribute meaningfully to a better and more sustainable Africa.
How did you feel when you learned you were admitted to HKS and awarded the Kistefos African Graduate Public Service Fellowship?
I was filled with a profound sense of gratitude. I found myself, almost involuntarily, shedding tears of joy and disbelief as the realization dawned on me: “I’ve been admitted to Harvard Kennedy School and awarded a fellowship.” It was truly overwhelming. The emotions I felt were as sobering as they were uplifting, for this honor represents a recognition of my over 14 years of dedication, service, and achievements in the public sector. Inspired by the words in Luke 12:48, “To whom much is given, much will be expected,” I view my admission and the fellowship not only as a remarkable acknowledgement but as a call to action—to serve even more boldly, and to help Africa’s public sector become a true catalyst for the continent’s socioeconomic transformation.
How will this fellowship enable you to achieve your goals?
The fellowship has given me the opportunity to receive a Harvard education by paying for my tuition and fees. This will ultimately empower me to be a catalyst for change in Africa’s public sector.
What does public service mean to you?
Public service is a calling to contribute to the greater good by building a stronger, more resilient society. Working in Ghana’s energy sector, public service means creating the enabling environment to increase investment in the sector. It means ensuring that every citizen has access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy, which is fundamental to education, economic growth, and social well-being. Public service is about using my skills and influence to develop sustainable policies and infrastructure that will support our nation’s development goals, alleviate energy poverty, and improve the quality of life for millions. To me, public service is not just a job—it’s a commitment to creating a lasting impact and leaving a legacy of progress and growth for future generations.
“Public service is not just a job—it’s a commitment to creating a lasting impact and leaving a legacy of progress and growth for future generations.”
Do you have any advice for prospective applicants?
Be proud of your achievements, the impact you’ve made, and your ambitions in public service—let these shine through in your application. This is your opportunity to tell your story boldly and confidently. Show how your work and dedication has transformed communities, and let your vision for a greater future inspire those who read it. Don’t be modest in highlighting your journey and passion, as these will set you apart.
The Kistefos African Graduate Public Service Fellowship is awarded on a competitive, merit basis, with priority given to students with demonstrated financial need and a commitment to fostering democracy through public service and/or related careers in government, NGOs, and nonprofits in their home country and/or the Sub-Saharan African region. Degree program students and/or Executive Education program participants from Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, South Africa, and Tanzania are eligible to receive this fellowship.
